Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodle, the Most Famous Dish of Yunnan Cuisine

Having originated in Mengzi County of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodle is the most famous dish in Yunnan Cuisine. Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodle boasts a history of more than 100 years. With continuous renovation by chefs, the dish has enjoyed growing fame both at home and abroad.

Beautiful Legend

According to legend, there used to live a scholar named Yang who preferred studying for the imperial exams amidst the tranquility of an island in Nanhu Lake, Mengzhi County rather than at home. His wife had to walk from their home to the island everyday to deliver his meals. As the distance was a bit great, the dishes always arrived cold.

One day, she made chicken soup. And when she finally brought the soup to her husband after walking to the island, her husband found the soup still blisteringly hot. She then realized that her chicken soup, with its insulating layer of chicken grease, could keep at high temperatures for long periods. From that day on, she ingeniously used her chicken soup as meal foundation rather than meal accompaniment. As she had to cross a bridge to reach the island, her dish came to be known as “Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodle.”

Major Ingredients

The rice noodle dish contains three parts: the soup, rice noodles, fixings like fresh vegetables and any kind of sliced meat.

The soup is cooked in a delicate way. First, carefully selected chicken ducks and Xuanwei ham are added into water in strict proportion. Then cook it until the mixture is boiling. When ready, the soup is flavored with condiments, such as salt, gourmet powder, and pepper powder. When the soup is scooped into bowls, there is a thin layer of chicken oil which can keep the soup warm on the surface of the soup.

Meat slices fall into different kinds. The most popular and also the least expensive kinds include white meat slices, chicken slices, ham slices and kidney slices.

Apart from meat slices, fresh vegetables and other ingredients, such as bean sprout and chives, shallot are also used according to personal preferences.

Way to Eat

The ingredients of Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodle are served separately. When you get the boiling hot soup, you need to put the sliced meat, rice noodles and fresh vegetables into the soup in sequence by yourself and then enjoy the tasty dish.

Nowadays, Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodle is greatly favored by people at home and abroad. Every visitor to Yunnan should definitely try the famous snack besides taking in the breathtaking natural scenery.